Owning a car and carrying cash ‘increasingly absurd’ in modern life

Owning a car and carrying cash joining things like Yellow Pages and fax machines on list of increasingly absurd things in modern life

Published:06:00Monday 27 March 2017

Owning a car is bcoming ‘increasingly absurd’ as it carrying cash, according to new research.

More than three quarters of people in the UK currently use a car, but three in 10 (29%) consider owning one as being increasingly unnecessary according to 3-in-1 transportation app Ubeeqo.

Owning a car and carrying cash joining things like Yellow Pages and fax machines on list of increasingly absurd things in modern life

The research suggests consumer behaviour is accelerating towards car sharing with increasing numbers demanding the convenience without the cost of ownership. Less than a quarter (23%) of those polled consider owning a vehicle to be vital, while 4% consider it to be “totally absurd and unnecessary.”

Public transport is considered the best way to get around for 63% of those opposed to car ownership, with two in five (42%) happy to stay on foot to get from A-to-B. Car-pooling is becoming an increasingly common alternative – with 10% of respondents favouring this. Unsurprisingly, cost is a key factor in deterring people from owning a car with 40% stating that fuel outlays are too high.

The research looked into which everyday products Brits now consider to be absurd in modern day life. Items that were once considered indispensable, such as desk diaries, pocket calculators and video recorders are now regarded as relics of the past and owning a car could be heading in the same direction.

The survey also found that when it comes to paying your way, contactless payments are replacing cash, with 17% admitting they no longer use notes and coins. Oyster cards are becoming increasingly redundant as commuters turn to contactless payments to navigate London’s transport network, with almost one in ten (7%) considering them unnecessary.

Owning a car and carrying cash joining things like Yellow Pages and fax machines on list of increasingly absurd things in modern life

The findings also reveal that eight in 10 (79%) people have ditched VHS completely, considering it totally useless in modern life. Google has negated the need for the Yellow Pages and Encyclopedias – with those items being cast aside by 53% and 42% respectively. In fact, over one in 10 (11%) had no idea what the Yellow Pages even was.

Splitting opinion are CDs and digital cameras. One in two (52% and 51% respectively) still use these items, while the other half think services and devices, such as Spotify and phone cameras, have rendered them pointless.

Henrik Jensen, UK managing director of Ubeeqo said it was interesting to see the future of car ownership being held in the same regard as items such as the VHS and fax machines.

“With owning a car becoming increasingly unaffordable – especially in major cities –people are seeking alternative ways to get around,” he said.

“Thankfully there are a range of options from public transport to car clubs to help overcome these issues.”